1. Technical Field
The invention concerns an apparatus for and a method of changing the lighting mode of a projector unit. The projector unit is outfitted with a mechanism for changing the spatial distribution of the light beam. The mechanism generally includes a modified body of the headlight with installed projector, an electric motor for the height adjustment, which is modified to enable an extremely large travel, and a touring shutter lever. The touring shutter lever is turned on or off upon extreme travel of the height control by making contact with the body of the headlight.
2. Discussion
The touring diaphragm is a commonly requested accessory for the majority of the projector units manufactured in Europe. Most of the time it involves a simple double-arm lever, located at the side of the projector and rotating about a horizontal transverse axis of the projector. One end of this double-arm lever is inserted inside the projector, where it functions to crop the light beam, and the other end the lever is grasped or pressed upon when switching the device.
Most of the levers are provided with a device (such as a spring) which constantly directs the lever against a stop in the end position and prevents it from becoming jammed in an intermediate position.
The basic drawback of the commonly used design for mechanical turning on of the touring diaphragm is generally poor accessibility to the lever of the touring diaphragm, specifically requiring lifting of the hood, removal of the cover from the body of the headlight, and typically removed of the entire headlight from the vehicle—in which case it is necessary to readjust the light after putting it back on the vehicle.
Usually when the projector is moving inside the light during the changing of the height setting there should not be any contact (or collision) between the projector and the body, except for the fastening point.